


A harmony that overlaps with my past self

by Moooomoo



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, IDOLiSH7 is a family, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:40:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23416117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moooomoo/pseuds/Moooomoo
Summary: Tamaki get sick, but he learns that it's not so bad to be taken care of after all.Happy birthday Tamaki!!! <333I wanted to write a sickfic for a long time and I decided that posting it on his birthday wouldn't be such a bad idea.Title is from Forever Note's lyrics.
Relationships: IDOLiSH7 inter-relationships, Ousaka Sougo & Yotsuba Tamaki
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	A harmony that overlaps with my past self

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write something warm and cute, and started that on a whim in January, left it untouched for a while, came back to it after seeing [Ethan's wonderful drawings](https://twitter.com/illusbal/status/1221287988895920128?s=20) (click link to see!) and then finished it for Tama's birthday.  
> Thank you Dami for correcting it <333
> 
> Tamaki always take great cares of the other members when they're sick (see rabbitchats and such) and I just wanted to write them all giving it back to their youngest member that can be lazy and a pain to handle but that they can't help but dotting on and still love very dearly, haha. I have a feeling Tamaki just make people around him softer (even TRIGGER and Re:vale) (especially them lol), he has this power.  
> Once again super self indulging !

“Tamaki-kun, we need to go in less than an hour. Are you ready?”

Tamaki’s consciousness slowly emerges to the familiar voice. By this point, it’s like his brain is wired to wake up to Sougo’s voice, since his partner took on the habit to wake him up for school whenever his own schedule allows it, and they always sleep in the same room when they travel for work. However, in the fog that are his thoughts are the moment, Tamaki wonders since when he had been sleeping, since he didn’t go to bed nor planned to nap. He remembers getting home from school, and sitting at his desk to work on his homework after Iori pestered him approximately a hundred times about it. Then he started to doodle something on his notebook and… blackout. He really can’t remember anything else.

“Tamaki-kun? Are you there?”

The door finally opens as Tamaki rubs his eyes, chasing the sleepiness out of them – or at least trying to. He doesn’t even feel that tired, but his head right now weighs ten tons and he feels dizzy.

“Ah, you were sleeping? I’m sorry. Manager will be here soon to drive us to the show, so I thought I’d check up on you.”

“Hnn…”

That’s right. Tamaki remembers now. They’re all appearing together on an evening TV program tonight, to talk about their latest IDOLiSH7 song. All of them had been quite excited about it, for two reasons. First, the show is a really popular one and it airs during prime-time on an important channel. Second – and that’s the main reason – it’s been ages since all seven of them worked together for something else than a live.

Sougo falls back into their morning routine almost without thinking about it, giving Tamaki his hands to help him get up from his chair and then lead them downstairs as usual. Except this time, things feel much different. Somehow the ground doesn’t seem stable, and everything is spinning around him. Tamaki takes two steps but trips on the third one. Two arms catch him and break his fall with difficulty, but it’s like all of his strength left him and he fails to stand up again as his head finds a resting place on Sougo’s shoulder.

“Tamaki-kun?! What is--- oh my god, you’re so hot… Tamaki-kun, you’re burning up!”

A cool hand touches his forehead and an imperceptible sigh escapes him. This feels nice. It’s not that he especially feels hot right now, but this coolness is very welcome. It soothes the dizziness a bit. Deep inside him, two emotions are fighting. This urge to get back to sleep as his eyelids flutter on their own as he struggles to keep them open, and the need not to make the others wait. Sougo is still talking, but it’s too fast and Tamaki can’t follow what he’s saying. The young man makes one last attempt to stand up, then everything turns black.

The next time his eyes open, Tamaki is disoriented. He’s not sure where he is or what’s going on. There is something on his forehead – a cloth? – and it’s making his head even heavier than it feels at the moment. He just woke up but he’s feeling exhausted. It’s like there is a rollercoaster inside his head right now and his brain is going on endless loops. A shiver shakes his body, despite the two blankets covering him.

“C-cold…”

The whisper gets out on its own, undirected to anyone, but thankfully for Tamaki it is heard. Almost immediately, something red and fluffy is deployed above him and covers him gently. Then the three blankets are briefly lifted up, just long enough for his favourite King Pudding plush to be tucked between his right arm and his chest. Before he has time to react, the blankets cover him again properly, this time providing the right amount of warmth. A sigh of relief escapes him.

“Hm...”

“Does this feel better, Tamaki?”

Tamaki is too far gone to answer, but it does feel good and he stops shivering.

“Nanase-san! I agreed for you to stay on the promise you wouldn’t touch him or get closer than one meter!”

“I know, but Tamaki was cold!”

“Well I could have added a blanket myself just fine, why did you have to!”

“Because I wanted to! Tamaki always takes care of me when I’m sick so I wanted to do the same!”

“Nanase-san, please, you need to---“

As he hugs the plush tightly, Tamaki falls back to sleep, unsure if he dreamed of the familiar exchange next to him just now or not. But it made him feel at home and warm, so he doesn’t mind it either way.

This time, the sleep was much more restful. His head still hurts a lot, but at least Tamaki can think. He’s in his bed. He’s in his bed and no one is asking him to wake up. This feels unusual. What is going on? He also feels much, much too hot, as well as nauseous and thirsty. Finally he understands: he’s sick. He hadn’t been sick in a while, and with the unfamiliar feeling comes a nostalgic longing. He misses his mom. He misses his family. When he was a kid, his mother used to take care of him and give him pudding whenever he was sick. It made him feel safe, loved and invulnerable. In contrast, the lonely nights once he started living at the orphanage made him feel alone and sad. Tamaki was a strong kid with a strong mind-set : he never pitied or felt sorry for himself. However, on these nights when he was sick and no one would give him attention, only then he would sometimes allow himself to cry. Thankfully for him, he did not often get sick. The other kids used to say it was because he was stupid, but he didn’t care. He needed to be strong and healthy if he wanted to take care of Aya once he found her anyway. If being stupid was the cost, he was willing to pay it.

But right now, he doesn’t even have time to think about all that. Just as he weakly tries to move, to push away the stuffy blankets, a concerned face immediately appears above him.

“Tamaki-kun ? You’re awake ? Are you feeling better ?”

“Sou-chan…?”

A wave of relief floods over him at knowing he’s not alone. The dampened cloth on his forehead is taken off and a hand replaces it for a few seconds.

“Hm… It only slightly decreased, the fever is still there… you need to stay in bed, Tamaki-kun.”

“ ‘m too hot…”

In the next minute the three blankets are gone and replaced by a new one, smelling faintly of lavender. Sougo then helps Tamaki sit on the bed. He pulls the young man’s t-shirt above his head to replace it with a clean one. A glass of water arrives in Tamaki’s hand, and he drinks it with gratitude while Sougo puffs his pillow with energy. When Tamaki is done, his partner makes him lie down again. As Sougo sets up a new fresh cloth on Tamaki’s forehead, the young man finally feels better. But above all, being taken care of like that meets a need he had ignored for so long, he barely remembered it was still there. Sougo moves away from the bed, and Tamaki instinctively grabs his sleeve.

“Sou-chan, stay…”

The voice is half a mumble, half a whisper, barely audible, but Sougo is so accustomed to his partner’s voice that he hears it anyway.

“I’m here, Tamaki-kun. I’m not going away. I was just sitting down on the chair.”

“Hmm.”

Sougo starts humming a song, and Tamaki’s mind drifts away peacefully.

The next time, Tamaki wakes up for good even if something is pounding a hammer on his head repeatedly. His immediate memories are pretty hazy and vague, and the young man is having a hard time making the difference between what he dreamt and what he really experienced. He vaguely remembers getting ready to leave for their job – and then nothing. Ah, yes, he knows he’s sick too. That he can feel. A soft hand gently pushes his bangs on the side before covering his forehead for a few seconds.

“Seems like your fever really went down this time. Welcome back, Tamaki-kun. How do you feel?”

“Sou-chan… m’ head hurts…”

“Sit down, I’ll give you some medicine for that.”

He feels so weak, but he does as he’s told. As Tamaki sits on the bed, back against the wall and some cushions, Sougo hands him some powder. A grimace immediately spreads on Tamaki’s face, but before he has time to say anything, Sougo makes a King Pudding bottle appear in his other hand.

“If you take it all, I’ll give you this after.”

Of course, Tamaki immediately recognized the familiar bottle. His surprise, though, is when he realizes it’s a rare limited edition.

“Sou-chan…! Is that…”

“The Yokohama special super limited edition? Yes it is. Iori-kun went all the way there to get you some for when you’d wake up.”

“Seriously?!”

A few seconds later the bitter medicine is fully swallowed, and Tamaki is allowed to eat his reward. He’s tired, sore, and his head still hurts but his beloved pudding is giving him some energy back already.

“Hmm~ this is so good! Iorin is the best. Can’t believe he went to Yokohama for me hehe. He--…”

Tamaki stops when he realizes some things don’t add up timewise.

“Sou-chan... what happened?”

“You had a huge fever and fainted because of it. To be honest, it was quite high so we were all pretty worried… Thankfully it finally started to get down for good now, even if it’s not gone yet.”

“So the job…?”

Sougo knows exactly which job Tamaki is talking about.

“It’s long over, yes… Tamaki-kun, you were in bed for two days straight. We took turns to watch over you.”

A defeated expression appears on Tamaki’s face. Two days! That’s a lot. He’s not really good at remembering schedules, but there was this job they all had together. They were even supposed to sing. He faintly recalls a MEZZO’’ magazine photoshoot too. And their radio show is on Thursdays – meaning it’s not “tomorrow” anymore, it was “yesterday”.

“’m sorry… ‘m real sorry Sou-chan…”

Sougo blinks at him in surprise. Tamaki turns the spoon inside the now empty pudding bottle with a guilty look.

“I caused trouble for everyone… again… ‘m real sorry ‘bout it…”

Tamaki might look carefree and like he doesn’t care, but he tried very hard to do things right when it came to his job. Missing on two full days of work is a lot in their field. He couldn’t care less about school – but work, that’s something else. When Sougo answers, his voice is very soft.

“What are you apologizing for, Tamaki-kun? It’s not your fault you were sick. If anything, it’s my fault for not noticing you had too much work, along with school it was…”

Before Tamaki has time to answer or Sougo to continue, the door of the room opens, pushed by a foot. Mitsuki enters holding a tray with a huge bowl and some onigiri.

“Tamaki! How are you feeling? Sougo told me you were finally awake, so I assumed you’d be starving.”

Indeed, Tamaki’s stomach answers with a growl to the smell coming up from that tray, and the guilt he was feeling is now pushed back at second place behind hunger.

“’m so hungry I think I could eat a horse!”

“Well, start with that stew first. It shouldn’t be too hard on your stomach.”

As Tamaki dives in his meal without any restrain, Sougo worries a bit.

“Tamaki-kun, don’t eat too fast! It’ll make you feel queasy…”

“Bwut Shou-chan, I hahen’t ate in shtwo days!”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full… And that’s not true. Yamato-san fed you the soups Mitsuki-san cooked while you couldn’t eat on your own.”

“Eh…? Yama-san did?!”

That’s a bit embarrassing to imagine. As Tamaki eats, Sougo and Mitsuki fill in the last blanks for him. After he fainted and was put to bed, Sougo immediately called Banri to come over. Their manager then watched over him and waited for the doctor, since Tsumugi had to drive the rest of the group to their job and supervise the show on site. The doctor was surprised by the level of Tamaki’s fever, but assured them that he should be fine after a week of rest and some regular medicine, to everyone’s relief. As soon as they were back, Riku volunteered to keep watch over his friend, much to Iori’s disapproval. There was however no changing the mind of the red-head, who knew very well how to convince anyone in his group to do as he wished by now. Since Sougo initially had the most jobs with Tamaki and some he just couldn’t do on his own, he was able to stay by his side a lot when Riku wasn’t there. Iori did a trip to Yokohama just to get him some of this 3-day-only-super-limited-edition pudding, and left him notes of all the classes he missed. Nagi apparently brought him enough manga to read for the next three weeks, but Iori hid them somewhere (“ _ If Yotsuba-san feels good enough to read, he should catch up on his school classes instead.”).  _ However, as he tells him that, Mitsuki winks.

“Don’t tell Iori but Nagi put aside the latest release of your favourite ones. He’ll come back later to secretly deliver it to you. That, and probably some Cocona stuff you should  _ definitely _ refuse to watch…”

“Hehe… It’s fine, I like watching stuff with Nagicchi.”

“I know, but you haven’t recovered yet so don’t tire yourself too much. You need rest.”

“Tamaki-kun, if you’re done eating you should lie down again.”

“Hey, don’t treat me like a kid you two!!”

But despite his protest, Tamaki can’t help but feel happy and warm. Nothing beats being taken care of. Being sick sucks and he hates it, but to be honest, if it means he gets to be taken care of… It’s not so bad, is it? Sougo helps him change into a clean t-shirt again, and then he does lie down again on the bed. Tamaki still feels dizzy and his body is protesting against the sudden activity it just went through, so he doesn’t want to admit it but his two friends were right. However, as he yawns the door opens brutally and someone rushes in.

“Taaamaaakiiiii! How are you? We just came back!”

Riku flops on the bed with a big grin on his face. Then Nagi flops on top of Riku – and Tamaki.

“Tamaaaaki!”

“Nanase-san, Rokuya-san! Stop crushing him like that!! And don’t get too close!”

Iori quietly follows in the room and scowls at them.

“It’s fine Iori, the doctor said Tamaki isn’t contagious!”

“That’s no reason to prevent him from breathing, isn’t it?”

As an answer, Riku and Nagi actually pull Iori onto the bed as well against his will. Sougo and Mitsuki start to panic while Iori protest and ask to be let free, but all Tamaki can do is laugh – even if breathing does start to be complicated now with all the bodies piling up on the bed.

“You guys are so noisy, hahaha.”

His sickness might not be contagious but his laugh is, and everyone ends up laughing as well – even Iori. Finally, Yamato, who just got home as well, appears in the doorframe of the room and gives them a puzzled look.

“What the hell is going on here? Tama, you okay?”

Everyone knows how good Yamato’s acting is. He’s trying to pretend he just passed by the room by coincidence when it was his intention to check on Tamaki all along. No one is fooled though.

“Yeah, I am, hahaha.”

His head is about to explode and he’s exhausted like never before, but in truth Tamaki has never felt so good than at this very moment.

**Author's Note:**

> Notes : in “Good Morning Laugher” we can see Sougo’s technique to handle sleepy Tamaki lol (which is pretty impressive, he basically makes him walk with his eyes closed?). I believe in a rabbit chat as well he tries to discuss the best way to handle sleepy Tamaki with Iori too XD
> 
> Afaik sometimes Japanese medicine is powder you have to swallow or drink, so this is what Sougo gives to Tamaki.  
> Also usually in Japan you don’t call a doctor, you go to the hospital (with an ambulance if you can’t go yourself) but I decided for fic reasons that I wanted a doctor to come XD sorry.


End file.
